Raytheon plans to set up a facility in Meridian, Mississippi, to produce a training aircraft should the U.S. Air Force select the company“™s bid for the Advanced Pilot Training program.
Raytheon said Monday it has teamed up with Leonardo-Finmeccanica, CAE‘s U.S. arm and Honeywell“™s aerospace business to propose the T-100 Integrated Air Training System for the program.
The Advanced Pilot Training initiative, also known as the T-X trainer aircraft program, seeks to replace the service branch“™s fleet of T-38 trainer planes.
Rick Yuse, president of Raytheon“™s space and airborne systems business, said Meridian“™s proximity to clients, talent base, infrastructure and government support make it an ideal location for the planned final assembly and check-out facility for the T-100 training jet, which is based on the Aermacchi M-346 aircraft.
Raytheon also operates a facility in Forest, Mississippi, that manufactures Active Electronically Scanned Array radars.